Too Eager Being Masters 好為人師

The Thirty-First Ordinary Sunday, Year A
Theme: Too Eager Being Masters 好為人師

Pope Francis always warns the Church of the evil of clericalism. He is actually echoing messages after messages conveyed in the Bible. Today, let us meditate on the issue of clericalism in the Church.

The first reading comes from the book of Malachi, a prophet writing during the Second Temple period around 400 BCE. The Second Temple had been in place for roughly a century. Jews had no kings but governors because Judaea was but a Persian province. In such a situation, priests held the highest religious and political authority. Without checks and balances, they corrupted. When we read the whole Chapter 1, we would understand how serious the offences had been. In the religious realm, “You bring in what is mutilated, or lame, or sick; you bring it as an offering” (Malachi 1:13b). The animals they had prepared for sacrifice were totally unacceptable offerings described in the law in the book of Leviticus. The sacrifice must be unblemished, not blind, lame nor maimed (Leviticus 22:18-25). Worse still, they fattened themselves with intact ones! “… Cursed is the cheat who has in his flock an intact male, and vows it, but sacrifices to the Lord a defective one instead” (Malachi 1:14a)! Worst of all, in their teaching office, they instructed people to take the wrong paths! They turned a blind eye to mixed marriages (2:11) and divorces (2:14b-16). Malachi warns them saying, “But you have turned aside from the way, and have caused many to stumble by your instruction; You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts” (2:8).

What was “the covenant of Levi”? Perhaps it refers to the incident of what happened to the Israelites at Shittim recorded in Numbers 25. “The people profaned themselves by prostituting themselves with the Moabite women … ate of the sacrifices and bowed down to their god. Israel thereby attached itself to the Baal of Peor, and the Lord’s anger flared up against Israel” (Numbers 25:1-3). “The Lord’s anger flared up against Israel” means a plague started among the Israelites. In order to pacify the Lord, Moses ordered judges to kill those who had attached themselves to the Baal of Peor. Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron followed Moses’ instruction and “Thus the plague upon the Israelites was checked; but the dead from the plague were 24,000” (25:8b-9). What Phinehas had done turned God’s anger away from the Israelites. So God swore a covenant of peace and perpetual priesthood for him and his descendants after him, “The covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was jealous on behalf of his God and thus made expiation for the Israelites” (25:13b). Woe to priests who did not treasure this perpetual priesthood covenant. Consequently, God would turn their blessings into curses (Malachi 2:2). By then, what good they would be for the people when they lost their function to be a font of blessings for all who requested or needed blessings! They would be like salt which has lost its taste and to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (Matthew 5:13)! In the words of Malachi, “I, therefore, have made you contemptible and base before all the people, for you do not keep my ways, but show partiality in your instruction” (Malachi 2:9)!

Now fast-forward and we arrive at Jesus’ time when the teaching office was taken over by scribes and Pharisees. Jesus placed great expectation on these teachers of the Israel (John 3:10) who were supposed to teach moral guidelines from the laws. Regrettably, they did not practise what they preached (Matthew 23:3b). Moreover, “All their works are performed to be seen” (23:4a) which they demonstrated by widening their phylacteries and lengthening their tassels (23:4b). The way they conducted themselves showed that they desired vainglory more than giving glory to God (23:5).

To be fair, not all skills can be taught by examples. Athletes, carpenters and smiths etc. surely teach by example. They must have attained sufficient level of skills and mastery in order to teach apprentices by example. But when more social structures emerged and division of labour was getting more refined, human beings needed to pass on other more abstract management skills. Teachers could still teach by examples but schools managers could not. In universities, mathematics professors scribbled highly abstract proofs of advanced mathematics problems, they do not teach by examples but by abstract logical algorithms. The question remains whether moralists teach by example or persuasive arguments. For one, Jesus belonged to the traditional classical school and taught by examples. Not only does He teach us to forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22), He demonstrates forgiveness by His prayer on the cross to forgive those who caused Him to be crucified (Luke 23:34). In today’s gospel, Jesus teaches that the essence of authority is service, “The greatest among you must be your servant” (Matthew 23:11), He demonstrates by washing the feet of the disciples during the Last Supper. “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do” (John 13:15). After Judas had left the Last Supper, Jesus continues, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (13:34). Jesus does not criticize scribes and Pharisees out of defence or hatred. Instead, He loves them and desires their return to the right path. Mosaic laws guard the Israelites from going astray. Regrettably, those legal experts wanted to play technicalities, to make use of the law to persecute Jesus instead. Mosaic laws are sufficient to guarantee the salvation of their souls. Instead, the legal expertise of scribes and Pharisees could only give them vainglory at the expense of the salvation of their souls.

I had been a teacher for more than 4 decades before and sometime after my ordination. I felt comfortable in accompanying my students but not in school management! I have never advanced beyond the rank of frontline foot soldiers throughout my teaching career to become even a middle manager. I enjoyed teaching ethics as well because it is demanding on both book knowledge and my personality character. I could confidently tell my students the evil of gambling because I do not even buy “Mark Six” but I could not say the same thing about smoking because at that time, I enjoyed smoking pipe. No. I could only preach comfortably what I practise. Period. To some extent, teachers are able to command less and less respect from parents and citizens in general so that the teaching profession has long been not the first choice among university graduates. But two thousand years ago, it was a different story. Therefore, it is understandable how scribes and Pharisees fell easily into the temptation of vainglory attached to climbing up the social ladder in the legal sector. Rewind 5 more centuries back into China, Confucianism warns, “The evil of men is in their eagerness to be masters of others 人之患在好為人師” (孟子．離婁上Mengzi, Li Lou I). This goes hand in hand with Jesus’ teaching. Early on in the topic of true cleanliness, Jesus criticises the Pharisees as blind guides of the blind. “If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14b). This is the evil Mengzi meant as well. Ignorant people are eager to seek amateurs to boost up their egos. Those ignorant masters won’t be able to improve and advance their skills and knowledge on one hand. Their disciples are simply wasting their money and time on the other. Neither side gains any benefit!

Beloved brethren! If you are able to practise what you preach, you deserve to be called rabbi, teacher or even father because you will be able to enlighten and draw out the potentials of your disciples, students and even apprentices. At the same time, you’re serving the glory of the Lord. But don’t forget the string attached to such titles. Once you fail to practise what you preach, it is advisable to forfeit the titles as well.
God bless!

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2017 Reflection
Photo Credit: wikipedia